Breast Cancer Facts You Need To Know (Part III)
(cont. II. Procedures Most Commonly Performed to Identify Breast Cancer)
Ultrasound, form the name itself, uses sound waves. The sound waves are sent out by the device and then it bounces on the tissue as echo. The device then records the echo and then it creates a picture of the lump. The healthcare provider then examines the picture as shown in the monitor. The ultrasound will reveal if the lump is filled with fluid or solid. A lump which is filled with fluid is a cyst. If the lump is a cyst it is not cancer. However, if the lump is solid mass and not a cyst, then it may be cancer (Test and Diagnosis 2009).
The magnetic resonance imaging also takes picture, in detail, of the breast tissue but it uses powerful magnet instead. This is not one of the most common routine screenings for breast cancer but it is sometimes used to see if there are tumors that cannot be detected using physical examination or mammography since they are too small for detection. In other words, this is an adjunct screening for breast cancer. It is also not recommended for high risk patients since it may yield false positive result which can then result to biopsy. It is also quite expensive so healthcare providers do not always recommend this procedure. However, according to the American Cancer Society, women who have more than 20% risk, women who have family history of cancer and women who had chest radiation should have annual MRI screening. Those who are also recently diagnosed with breast cancer should have MRI since it can detect breast tumors in the contralateral breast which may have been missed by the mammogram and it can also detect other lesions (Test and Diagnosis 2009)
The biopsy is where the doctor will remove tissue or fluid from the breast in order to see of there is indeed cancer or if the lump is benign. In doing a biopsy, the surgeon may be assisted by imaging procedures such as ultrasound. These are done when the lump cannot be felt. Stereotactic biopsy, ultrasound-guided biopsy and needle-localized biopsy are the different biopsy imaging assisted procedures. In removing the tissue, there are several ways the doctor can go about it. The first is fine needle aspirations, wherein a needle is used in removing the fluid from the lump. If the fluid is not clear, it contains cells. The cells will then be checked for cancer in the laboratory by a pathologist. If the fluid is clear, then there is no need to have it checked in the laboratory. Another way of removing the tissue is core biopsy where the doctor will also insert a needle on the breast to remove the tissue. The surgical biopsy is when a sample of the tissue is removed from the lump. The pathologist will then check in the laboratory the sample if it is cancer. There are two types of surgical biopsy: incisional and excisional. Incisional biopsy only takes part of the lump for sample while the excisional biopsy removes the entire lump for sample (How is Breast Cancer Diagnosed 2009).
Ultrasound, form the name itself, uses sound waves. The sound waves are sent out by the device and then it bounces on the tissue as echo. The device then records the echo and then it creates a picture of the lump. The healthcare provider then examines the picture as shown in the monitor. The ultrasound will reveal if the lump is filled with fluid or solid. A lump which is filled with fluid is a cyst. If the lump is a cyst it is not cancer. However, if the lump is solid mass and not a cyst, then it may be cancer (Test and Diagnosis 2009).
The magnetic resonance imaging also takes picture, in detail, of the breast tissue but it uses powerful magnet instead. This is not one of the most common routine screenings for breast cancer but it is sometimes used to see if there are tumors that cannot be detected using physical examination or mammography since they are too small for detection. In other words, this is an adjunct screening for breast cancer. It is also not recommended for high risk patients since it may yield false positive result which can then result to biopsy. It is also quite expensive so healthcare providers do not always recommend this procedure. However, according to the American Cancer Society, women who have more than 20% risk, women who have family history of cancer and women who had chest radiation should have annual MRI screening. Those who are also recently diagnosed with breast cancer should have MRI since it can detect breast tumors in the contralateral breast which may have been missed by the mammogram and it can also detect other lesions (Test and Diagnosis 2009)
The biopsy is where the doctor will remove tissue or fluid from the breast in order to see of there is indeed cancer or if the lump is benign. In doing a biopsy, the surgeon may be assisted by imaging procedures such as ultrasound. These are done when the lump cannot be felt. Stereotactic biopsy, ultrasound-guided biopsy and needle-localized biopsy are the different biopsy imaging assisted procedures. In removing the tissue, there are several ways the doctor can go about it. The first is fine needle aspirations, wherein a needle is used in removing the fluid from the lump. If the fluid is not clear, it contains cells. The cells will then be checked for cancer in the laboratory by a pathologist. If the fluid is clear, then there is no need to have it checked in the laboratory. Another way of removing the tissue is core biopsy where the doctor will also insert a needle on the breast to remove the tissue. The surgical biopsy is when a sample of the tissue is removed from the lump. The pathologist will then check in the laboratory the sample if it is cancer. There are two types of surgical biopsy: incisional and excisional. Incisional biopsy only takes part of the lump for sample while the excisional biopsy removes the entire lump for sample (How is Breast Cancer Diagnosed 2009).
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